Thanks! Was not aware of the placement test.
Placement tests won’t give credit but determine which course to begin in. My son said the math one was only precalc so I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s taking the Chem later tonight or tomorrow but the gist of it is that if you place well enough on it you can be put into either General Chem or Organic Chem but that’s only for placement, you don’t automatically receive Gen Chem credit if you place into Organic. If you do poorly on the placement but then get a 4 or better on the AP Chem test you’ll earn the AP credit and the placement test is moot because you’ll have credit for General Chem but if one needs Orgo then their placement test may have determined you weren’t ready for it if you didn’t pass out of it. Hope that makes sense.
LSA students have to also take writing and language if they studied a language.
When working on the class schedule during orientation how do they deal with all the AP tests being taken right now that won’t have scores until late July? Can they change their courses later in the summer depending on the results of those tests? My child signed up for a June orientation date and won’t have four of the scores yet. I guess the question is - is better to do the early orientation as scheduled when more classes still have space to register, or change the scheduled orientation for late July when the scores will be available? Obviously, either way all the placement tests will also need to be taken.
Placement exams and credit are discussed here:
https://lsa.umich.edu/advising/plan-your-path/orientation/placement-and-credit.html
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Do early and change as you need. My much easier to change later then back peddling. My son’s orientation was in August and still got the classes he needed. FYI
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In the parent fb groups people have said they add sections all summer but that your student may or maybe not get the classes he or she wants. My son also took 4 AP Exams. For one of them they’ve already released the test answers so he was able to go and review it and is confident he achieved what he needed to earn the credit with the other ones he hasn’t seen his released nor is he confident he did well so he is just not planning to take that class in the fall regardless so it doesn’t mess up his schedule in any case.
But generally speaking this is probably something to speak to the advisor with and go through the add/drop period later in the summer if he needs to.
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Also my son already did the two placement tests he needed. Math and Chem. The math is only at a precalc level and they each took about 25 mins and were relatively easy. Chem also gives you your score. I wouldn’t stress over them too much. LSA needs Language and Writing placement exams in addition to those.
Lots of negativity on some of the Facebook pages. Too much overload. @Knowsstuff @srparent15 you always give great info. TY.
Question - Does anyone get off the Ross waitlist?
Thanks. I’m learning a lot myself and my son is on top of things too. Sometimes he tells me more than I need to know lol. I guess for a boy I should be thrilled.
And now you know why I never joined the Facebook groups… Lol… Michigan is experienced at all of this. I wouldn’t put to much energy in the Facebook groups. Let your kids know to advocate for themselves on what they need and you will be surprised at what they get. It’s for the students to do not the parents to do… 
Problem is, there are just a lot of whiners. People talking about their kids stressed about placement tests or having to study for them. I mean really? You don’t want your kid to study for a placement test and then wind up in the wrong class. I don’t get it.
THey’re also complaining about the possible housing restrictions but I think it’s just the housing site being slow to update as it’s obvious they’re slow on everything. So, big deal. They’re in a hurry instead to stick their 18 year old kids in apartments like they’re adults. Give me a break. More interested in the greek life/party scene than the academics or dorm experience in general. It blows me away. And, if a kid doesn’t get into a class…yes it sucks, my daughter can’t get into a Finance class for her minor, second semester in a row at her school (not Michigan) but it’s not the end of the world. She got everything else. They live. I remember in college I wanted a certain Music class to fit a category because of course it was the blowoff one, instead I had to take Art History and was not happy. Turns out it was an amazing course and I loved it. The following summer I went to Europe and I knew so much of the places I visited and in the Louvre, etc. It was a good experience. So, we can’t always get what we want and neither can our kids. That’s life. My kid isn’t crying that he didn’t get into his ED school, he’s instead excited for Michigan etc. It’s good to have a kick in the a$$ every so often so that they see they’re human and not perfect. Afterall, who is?
Same policy but warning… Engineering likes you to start in Calc 1… But if you do skip it then you start at your next math level up which is the weed out Calc 2… If you move up even more you will end up taking a math that is not part of your sequence. You still need to take so many math classes regardless of AP credit. Talk to your advisor at orientation or before. Just because you have AP credit doesn’t mean you should take it. You can use it for elective skipping also.
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So no don’t study for your placements. That’s kinda silly. People stress over the wrong things. If your kid was actually in the wrong classes he can take to his advisor and professor to get placed in the correct one. But warning… These classes start easy then quickly ramp up. They tend to ramp up very hard, very quickly. It’s not high school anymore so tread lightly…
As I remember the freshman advising meeting, the math dept. advisor and your proposed major advisor will sit down and look at your SAT scores, placement tests, transcripts and AP test scores, if available. For the STEM-inclined, the placement tests aren’t difficult.
Between the various data points, Michigan will have to enough to know where a student should be placed. And it’s good to error on the side of caution sometimes, because upper level math and chem, without proper grounding in the subjects will show up in your freshman grades, assuming the improper placement in higher level courses.
Remember, the those 3.9 average uwGPA’s in HS are spread fairly equally between A’s, B’s and C’s at Michigan.
Well said…
I wish everyone understood that. When I see people saying their kids need time to study for a placement test it makes me cringe. I had terrible advising from the college I went to. Put me in a math class based solely on my high ACT math score without any consideration for what I had taken in high school or even asking me what I wanted or even needed to be in. I wasn’t an engineer and wound up in Calculus for Engineers. Back then no one took AP Calculus in high school other than the true geniuses. So like 5 kids lol. Anyway, I was a business major and didn’t need Engineering Calculus. It set me back a bit because I was in a class I didn’t have the background for, didn’t do well then switched to the regular one at some point but was so lost by then it was a disaster I was happy to get a C. Got an A the next course but what a headache and glad to be done. So I don’t see any benefit for those who try to ace placement tests by studying or even cheating because you don’t earn credit by skipping those lower classes and only end up in harder ones that you truly may not be ready for. Also what is the rush? As of now mine has no plans for a double major or minor and I don’t want him to graduate early so what’s he going to do then?
Although that reminds me. @Knowsstuff did your son do coop? I think that is something mine is interested in. I need to find info on it as I’m curious what is involved.
Yes he did this last year. In Alaska now with family and going on an ATV excursion now so will answer later when I have better internet. Pm me if you want to.
Hi! Does anyone know how Mcard submissions work? Like do they email if your photo is approved/received? Or do you only receive an email if the photo is not approved?
I could be wrong but thought you upload your Pic and get it at orientation?
Well yes, but I was just wondering if there was an email or something to let you know your photo submission was successfully received.